Failure Modeling of an Oil Pipeline Buckle and Rupture Due to Excessive Soil Movement

摘要

A rupture occurred in a 34-inch (864 mm) crude oil pipeline located in South America that resulted in a discharge of crude oil to the environment. The rupture occurred at the peak of a buckle in a 9-degree construction over bend. It was determined that the buckle was likely due to large pipe displacements induced by soil movement that occurred over time. This report specifically addresses the cause of failure as related to the soil movement and circumstances that led to the rupture of the pipeline. Specifically addressed are the loads necessary to cause the observed buckle of the pipeline and what produced these loads on the pipe. Extensive computational modeling was performed to analyze the soil-to-pipeline interactions during soil movement, possible magnitudes of the loads due to pipe displacement, and the subsequent effects of those loads on the pipe. This report focuses on the range of numerical modeling performed, which included basic beam displacement models to local buckling and damage analyses.